Hornets basketball ops chief Jeff Peterson has big goals

MATT KELLEY | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Charlotte Hornets executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson answers a questions at his introductory press conference on March 6 at Spectrum Center.

Jeff Peterson wants to make the Hornets the NBA’s premier franchise.

Co-chairs “Rick [Schnall] and Gabe [Plotkin] have communicated very clearly that we’re going to turn this [franchise] into the premier franchise,” Peterson, the Hornets new executive vice president of basketball operations told reporters Wednesday at his introductory press conference. “That is exactly what we are going to do, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to do that in this beautiful city of Charlotte and the Carolinas in general.”

Schnall and Plotkin both felt Peterson checked all the boxes they were looking for when interviewing candidates to succeed general manager Mitch Kupchak, who announced his retirement last month.

“We’re excited to have Jeff join the Charlotte Hornets as the new leader of our basketball operations,” Schnall and Plotkin said in a joint statement. “He shares our vision, our values and our goal of becoming the premier franchise in the NBA. Jeff is a rising star in our league who is known for his player evaluation, his communication skills and his ability to develop strong relationships.”

Turning a franchise around that hasn’t earned a postseason berth since 2016 — the longest postseason drought in the NBA — is quite the task. Peterson, however, said he feels no pressure.
“I just keep going back to that I think it is an incredible opportunity,” Peterson said. “I’m 35 and I’ve also seen a lot in this league. In 12 years, a lot of things happened in Atlanta and a lot of things happened in Brooklyn. I think I’m fortunate to have those experiences, so I don’t see it as pressure.”

Peterson has held major roles with the Brooklyn Nets in his most recent job as assistant general manager. Before that, he spent seven years in Atlanta where he started his career as a seasonal basketball operations assistant in 2012. After one season he was promoted to coordinator of basketball operations before being named assistant general manager at age 27.

In Brooklyn, Peterson helped in the acquisition process of several key players including Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving as well as trading for James Harden, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson.
While he hasn’t had time to fully examine the Hornets’ roster, Peterson is excited about the core of players and ready to put together a team that can win regularly.

“I’m very excited about our roster,” he said. “I think we kind of have different phases. We’ve got a young core group, then we have some veterans and some developmental pieces. I’m excited to, quite frankly, evaluate and see exactly what and where we can tweak some things.”

Plotkin and Schnall, along with Kupchak, were very successful before the NBA trade deadline, not only acquiring draft picks but also adding players Grant Williams, Seth Curry, Tre Mann, Vasilije Micic and Davis Bertans.

“For a minute I thought they might not even hire a GM,” Peterson joked. “[Schnall and Plotkin] may just be co-GMs or assistant GMs. In all seriousness, I think they did a nice job [before the trade deadline]. Again, they’re very realistic in their approach. I think they did a nice job of bringing the whole picture into perspective.”

Peterson said he enjoys the passion of Hornets fans. He remembers growing up when the Hornets were relatively new and playing video games and using former Charlotte players.

“Growing up [I would] play NBA Jam,” Johnson said. “Alonzo [Mourning], Baron Davis, Muggsy [Bogues]; the Starter jackets, all of that stuff. I also really liked the colors. I spent a lot of time playing [as the Hornets].”
While building a premier franchise is a lofty goal, Peterson encourages fans to bring their energy because he feels sustainability isn’t out of reach.

“We just have to continue to stay patient,” he said. “Just know that we aren’t going to skip steps because the main goal is to have sustainable success. We don’t want to make the playoffs one year and then be out for another three or four years. We want this thing to be sustainable and consistent.”

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